Grave marker



April 9, 1935.

E. SISSON ET AL GRAVE MARKER Filed Aug. 23, 1933 FEELE- E El;

6 e z 2 f; 1 2 2 Jam f i, d/ i Patented Apr. 9, 1935 UNITED STATE GRAVE MARKER EdwardC. sisson and Jefferson Doyle Stokes,' 1 Dallas, Tex.

. Application August 23, 1933, Serial No. 686,433

2 Claims.

This inventionrelates to a grave marker and particularly to the provision of an inscription tablet, a base plate and securing stake, all of these being essential members of the invention.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a markertodesignate the location or burial place of any 'deceasedperson, the location of lot boundaries and for any purpose demanding an inscribed obituary or memorial tablet not subject to fading, rusting, deterioration, washing off of inks and prints or. obliterating by exposure to sun and-storm, or when enclosed with the remains of the deceased person, as means of future identification.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a marker so constructed that it may be placed flush with the adjacent surface of the ground in order to prevent it being damaged by a lawn mower or the like. When a burial is made in an adjacent plot, it will not be necessary to remove the marker, as is frequently the case with upright markers, in order to set up the necessary burial equipment. Many cementeries now prohibit or discourage the use of upright markers because of their unsightly appearance and the time it requires to trim the grass around them and the present invention obviates both of these objectionable features.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tablet on which the necessary data may be inscribed by the user with a typewriter, pencil, dies, stamps, type or any sharp pointed device or instrument.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attractive, durable marker of simple construction that can be shipped knocked down and quickly assembled for use.

With the foregoing objects as paramount, the invention has particular reference to its salient features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will become manifest. as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:--

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the upper portion of the stake.

Figure 4 is a view of the base plate.

Figure 5 is a front view of the assembled marker. I

Figure 6 is a view of the tablet before bending with the back plate in dotted lines. 7

Figure 7 is a cross section of the tablet assembled for inscribing on the line 4-4 of Figure 8, and

Figure .8 is a back view of the assembled tablet showing bent over portions.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, in designates the base or bottom plate which may be constructed of wood, cast or stamped metal, cement, artificial'stone, or other suitable materialand is designed to set in contact with the surface of the ground but it may be placed at a slight angle by driving the stake at an angle. This stake will be described in detail presently. The tablet or inscription plate I I is of thin soft metal, with a thicker piece of metal forming a back plate [8. Both of these plates are preferably constructed of copper. The

- tablet is secured to the base plate by nails, screws,

bolts or rivets at It. The back plate l8 has each corner clipped as shown at l9, so that the tablet may be readily attached to the back plate by driving a nail at each corner through the thin metal of the tablet II, and by the same operation, tightening the thin metal tablet over the back plate. The back plate is also cut out at each end as shown'at 20, so that the tablet may be attached at two, four or six points as desired.

The base plate has a rectangular opening or 25 aperture at l6 and a recess [1, embracing the aperture IS. The depth of the recess l1 and the size of the aperture 16 is to be governed by the width and thickness of the stake members l2-|3. The width of the recess I1 is to be of a size to 30 receive the bent upper portions of the stake members l2--l3.

The stake member is formed by two pieces of flat, partially resilient material l2-l3, with the lower ends partially sharpened as at 22, and the upper ends bent at opposing right angles, forming a T as shown in Figure 3. I

To assemble the marker one has only to drop the stake member lZ- -IS through the opening in the base plate Hi. This will leave a flat, even sur- 40 face on the base plate to receive the tablet. When this tablet is fastened to the base plate, the stake members are by the same operation securely fixed in position.

A cross section on line 4-4 on Figure 8 represents the assembly illustrated in Figure 7. The inscription plate I l is shown with the ends bent around the cushion 2i and metalback plate l8 to secure the assembly together- The inscription plate ll above referred to, is

obviously of thin, bendable material, preferably copper of a thickness especially adapted to receive and retain a legible inscription and as it is backed by the soft cushion 2|, 9. firm impression is made by the inscriber. The function of an artistic border or other decoration other suitable material and is inserted between the thin metal tablet and the thicker metal back plate enablingone to write or inscribe with pencil, dies, stamps, type or any sharp pointed instrument. After inscribing, the cushion may be removed, thus making it-difl'icultto alter orchan'ge the inscribed record. 7

In practice it would be customary to send the tablets to the funeral director with his firm name and address inscribed thereon, also the words Born and Diedfwith a space after'each word. This inscribing before shipping may be done with an ordinary printing press'a'nd at the same time may be inscribed on the face of the tablet. When using these tablets, the funeral director has only to inscribe the name of the deceased with the dates following the words, Born and Died. This inscribing may be done by hand or with a typewriter. When a typewriter is used it willfbe necessary 'to' straighten the bent portion 01' the thin metal tablet and remove the back plate, so

that the thin tablet with the cushion may be inserted in the typewriter. q

What is claimed is:

1. A grave marker including a base plate having beveled edges and a central recess provided with a central aperture, a stake member comprising separate strips of material, each having one end bent at right angles to its longitudinal axis, the said strips being jointly disposed in the aperture ofsaid base plate with the bentlends jointly lying within the recess in said base' plate, a plate of impressionable material having a cushioned member therebeneath superimposed on said base plate and concealing the bent end of said stake -member. a I

V 2. A grave marker including abase plate having a centrally apertured recess, a pair-of strips ,defining a stake member, each having one endbent at right angles with respect to its longitudinal axis, said stake member being disposed in the aperture in said base plate with the angularly bent ends of said Strips Jointly lying within said recess and an inscription plate of impressionable material fixed to said base plate and concealing the recesstherein.

l V EDWARD C. SISSON; J. DOYLE STOKESI 

